THE FIFTY-FIRST DISCOURSE On abstinence

The man of piety receives his reward twice by way of his portion. First on account of his renouncing the world so that he does not take to it on account of his desire nor in compliance with the urges of his own self, but it is just to fulfil the commandment of God that he has anything to do with it. So when his enmity with his own self and opposition to his desires are established and he is counted among the verifiers of truth and friends of God and he is admitted in the company of the abdal and "arifin (knowers of truth), it is then that he is commanded to take to the world and establish contact with it, because now there is a portion for him in it which cannot be discarded and which has not been created for any other person, and after the recording of which the pen of destiny has become dried and about which the knowledge of God has gone beforehand. Then when the commandment has been fulfilled, he takes his share of the world or, receiving information about the knowledge of God, he establishes contact with the world to act as the vehicle of the destiny appointed by him and of His action in the matter, without his being involved in it, and without any desire or purpose and effort on his part — he is rewarded on account of these for the second time, because he does all these things in obedience to the commandment, or to be in accord with the act of God in the matter. Then if it be said — how did you make the statement about reward in connection with one who was or has been in a very high spiritual position and who, according to your own description, has been admitted in the category of the abdal and 'arifm, and who has been among those accepted by God, having vanished from people and their own selves and from desires and purpose and enjoyments and wishes and expectations of rewards on account of their deeds — people who see in all their acts of obedience and worship nothing but acts of God and His mercy and His blessing and His backing and provisions of ease from Him, and who believe that they are nothing but humble servants of God and that a servant has no right as against his master, since his person and his movements and his responses and his efforts are all possessions of his master: how then can it be said in relation to such a person that he is rewarded, since that he does not ask for any reward or anything else in exchange for his action and does not see any action as proceeding from him but considers himself among the worthless people and among the poorest of the poor in respect of deeds? If this is said, the reply would be: "You have spoken the truth, except that God bestows His grace on him and nourishes him with fond care and with His blessings and brings him up with His kindness and tenders care and mercy and favour, when he has restrained his hand from the affairs of his own self and from asking for its enjoyments which are reserved for the after-life, and from deriving benefit out of it and from warding off any harm arising out of it, so much so that he becomes like a suckling babe which has no movement in the affairs of his self, and who is nurtured with fond care with the grace of God and sustenance provided by Him at the hands of his parents, who are his guardians and sureties. When He has taken away from him all interest in his own affairs He makes the hearts of people incline towards him and infuses His mercy and compassion in the hearts so much so that everyone becomes kind to him and becomes inclined to him and does him a good turn. And in this way everything besides God becomes such as does not move but with His commandment and, in response to His act and the grace of God, attends him in this world and in the hereafter, nurturing him in both and keeping away from him all suffering. So it is that the Holy Prophet says (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): Surely my friend is Allah, Who revealed the Book, and He befriends the righteous (7:196)